


Sleepover

by acedtheblondetest



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Childhood Friends, F/F, Pining, Rule 63
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 07:51:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18384131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acedtheblondetest/pseuds/acedtheblondetest
Summary: Based loosely on Hayley Kiyoko’s song Sleepover. When Takayo is leaving for college and leaving behind baby sitting charge turned friend Keri - Keri has to try her best to keep her (secret) blooming feelings in check so as to not ruin their last night.





	Sleepover

**Author's Note:**

> Are song fics even a thing anymore? LOL
> 
> At a point these two did become more OCs based on Keith and Shiro, so if you would prefer to read it that way you are more than welcome.
> 
> Baby’s first fic in a very long time. I appreciate comments, constructive criticism, the works :D That said, please no shipping discourse.

"It's tonight, isn't it?"

"You know, I think it is tonight. Isn't it tonight, Ker-Bear?"

"Dad, I'm not five. Stop calling me that."

" _ Keri _ \- it's tonight that Takayo is coming over for a sleepover, correct?"

Her cheeks flushed. Leave it to mom to not let it go. And when she was acting like she was the one trying to keep Dad from goading her! "You both know it is. Stop making fun of me by asking every single morning this week."

Her mom and dad shared a look. Dad always had more of an expressive face than mom, easier to read than the placid looks Keri had inherited from her mother. Maybe it was the eyes. "We just want you to have fun, Ker-bear. You won't be able to see her for a while after this. College is very time-"

Her father was interrupted by the the clatter of Keri’s stool sliding back suddenly from the breakfast bar. "I gotta take Wolf for a walk."

The word avoiding was heard over the motions of taking Wolf's leash down from the hook by the front door. Keri ignored it as she had all the other times it was brought up through the past month. At least Wolf didn't seem to care that she refused to talk about the inevitable. He just looked up at her expectantly, as patient as ever for the leash to click into place on his collar before Keri opened the door.

Avoiding it wouldn't make it go away. Keri knew that. Even if she refused to talk about it to anybody besides Wolf, Takayo was still going to leave for college next week. Eight hours away. Too far for weekend trips back unless it was an emergency - she'd said it herself.

"But college kids get longer winter breaks!" She'd grinned and ruffled at Keri's hair like always. "You'll still get loads of me right next door for a whole month come Christmas. Best gift ever, huh?"

August to December. Keri gulped. She didn't have to count it out month by month anymore, she had done it so many times. A quarter of a year without her.

A cold nose pressed into her palm. Keri looked down, then around. Ah - she'd been standing beneath the stop sign at the end of her block. "How long was I out?" She asked, rubbing her knuckles behind Wolf's ear in apology. “It’s too hot to do all the way to the road but we can get to the park and back at least, yeah?” If it was up to Keri and Wolf they could walk to the drugstore and beyond but - with how thick Wolf’s coat was they had ended up needing picked up by a parent or Takayo a few too many times.

Another swallow down of icy anxiety.

“You know, being a pet owner means knowing their limits as well as your own.” Even if her tone had been stern, Takayo had still shown up in her grandpa’s old Jeep with a bowl and bottles of water when Keri first called her. She had been panicking about a then young Wolf that had just flopped down in the middle of what must’ve been their third walk without parental presence. It had been under the tree at the corner of Vine and Ridge. The smell of freshly cut grass hit her as they passed that same corner now.

That tree had been cut down in favor of a wider sidewalk two years ago.

For teasing her, in good nature she was aware despite her frustrations, Keri’s parents had prepared well for the sleepover. Delivery pizza - pepperoni, peppers, and mushrooms, both Keri and Takayo’s favorite - had been pre-ordered so as to arrive at a decent time in the night. Soda, chips, and ice cream also made up the menu. All of the extra pillows and blankets in the house were tossed in Keri’s bedroom for proper movie watching comfort.

But Keri was anything but comfortable. Had known Takayo more years than she could remember not, had rushed to her for help when she got her first period at school, had ugly cried on her shoulder when her mom was gone for month long work trips… and she could not be any less comfortable this night.

“Who’s gonna brush my hair and put it into such a neat braid without you around, huh?” Takayo was the picture of contentment, half laying in Keri’s lap, eyes closed in the sensation of having her hair brushed over and over by Keri’s slow and gentle hand. She had already taken off and set aside her prosthetic arm for the night.

Keri tried her best not to swallow too loudly before she spoke. “You’ll have to bully someone else to do it for you. You’re the one that taught me anyway, I’m sure with practice you’ll get back to it.”

Takayo shrugged, non-committal in her perfectly relaxed state. “There’s way more on stuff YouTube nowadays, I bet there’s some I could watch by now.”

Keri nodded, ferreting away the thought for later to try searching herself. For now... Touching Takayo’s hair was always nice, it was so soft and silky compared to the super thick texture Keri had inherited. Now - now Keri caught herself thinking things like,  _ this will be the last time I get to brush her hair for months… _

“I can practice on yours when you’re done.” Takayo offered as Keri started finally parting it into neat sections to be braided.

Ah - that wouldn’t be advisable. The last time Takayo had messed with Keri’s hair, three months before… Keri had had to excuse the instinctive gasp. When Takayo’s fingers missed and brushed so softly at her ear it could have easily been the wind. Thought it was a bug, Keri had pouted. It also explained the shiver that had traveled from that bloom of warmth at her ear all the way along the cold streak down her spine.

There was no way she was going to let that happen again on Takayo’s last night. Even if she believed she had more control than that - she did not want to test it just now. “It’s too short, dummy.”

“Name calling is uncalled for,” Takayo said in a matter of fact tone more befitting a boarding school matron than the pinch she gave Keri’s calf in retaliation.

Keri only tugged on the captive braid in her hand. The way that Takayo laughed gave Keri’s throat a pinched and twisted feeling even sharper than her fingers did. Keri closed her eyes.  _ Stop thinking this is the last time about everything, idiot. You’re making tonight suck. Gonna hate yourself if you ruin it by being all mopey. _

“Keri?” Ah, fuck, she’d stopped moving her hands. The attempt at a comforting touch to her wrist only made her have to keep from hitting the ceiling. Keri tried to calm herself with a grounding curl of her toes beneath crossed legs. “I’m always gonna be just a facetime away, you know that, right?” Takayo continued, her voice soft.

Shit - of course she was going to comfort her. Stupid. Keri squeezed her eyes tight one more time to absorb back the tears threatening to occur. She absolutely hated that burning feeling that would happen at the corners of her eyes when tears were imminent. 

“What movie do you want to watch,” Keri asked when she opened her eyes and finished off the braid with a quick twist of a wrist and hairband.

The look Takayo gave her made her chest ache. She was too nice, too understanding. Even how she knew Keri so well as to let her change the subject just then - it hurt. Takayo didn’t push it. Just - sat herself up and riffled through the book of DVD inserts. “Something you won’t watch on your own - ah, Grease.”

Keri laughed in spite herself. In spite of her dumb over dramatic sixteen year old self. “I’m definitely never gonna watch that on my own, you’re right.”

Her dumb, over dramatic sixteen year old self that wasn’t hurting about her babysitter turned best friend - as upsetting as that statement itself was - leaving for college. Well, she was. But that wasn’t the only or even the biggest part of it.

It was that she had a huge, stupid, listen to teenage love songs crush on her. The kind that makes her yell-sing along to the lyrics when in the safety of her empty house on parent date nights.

_ There’s a million reasons why I should give you up, _

_ But the heart wants what it wants _ , at 9:47 on a school night over the geometry final study guide like she was some early 2000s Lindsey Lohan movie protagonist.

Maybe that’s why she only made a 76 on that one.

But right now, in the dark of her room surrounded by more pillows than Bed, Bath, and Beyond on back to college weekend… with the reflections of the TV screen filling the room up with more color than she’s ever thought it to have… in shades that dance across Takayo’s sweat pants and the clear dark of her eyes…

It’s the kind of crush that has her sweat at the closeness. It wouldn’t take much at all to reach over, turn Takayo’s face to hers and just… kiss her. Slow and long - enjoy it. Taste the vanilla bean ice cream on her lips. The flash of blue on Keri’s stomach could be Takayo’s hand. Easy, exploring fingers feather light under her tank top. Keri parting her lips - sigh soft and more desperate than it could ever audibly sound. Takayo always wore the waistline of her pants so loose when she slept. It would be no task at all to slide her whole hand-

“Bathroom,” was all Keri could manage before she was on her feet.

You know, sometimes she appreciated  _ not _ having a bathroom conveniently attached straight to her bedroom. One across the hall made the loud rush of cold water that much less annoying. She splashed it it on her face there bent over the sink - cupped it to run down the back of her neck for good measure.

“Tired,” she said aloud, looking at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were weary - her brows frustrated. Her heart…

When she returned to her room after administering the Cold Water Cure Keri was able to act relatively normal for the duration of the film. They joked, shoved each other, made commentary, their usual. Keri was beginning to think she could get through the night without anymore corny or lonely thoughts.

Until she very nearly climbed into her bed beside Takayo.

“Oh, you’re going to after all?” Takayo asked, looking over her shoulder but not quite reaching Keri with her eyes in the lazy shift.

For the past year Keri has been insisting on not sharing a bed with Takayo when they had sleepovers. She claimed she got too hot - which was not a lie entirely. But there was far more to it than that. She got too hot because for as long as anybody could remember, her first night home from the hospital after being born to now, Keri had the unconscious habit of hugging the nearest heat source in her sleep. Correction.  _ Clinging _ to it. Full leg over, tucked arms clinging. As old as she got her bed still contained a large stuffed purple hippo for that reason. Albeit a modified one to hold a heating pad in its belly. That was especially helpful during rough period cramps.

But Takayo was not Mr. Hippo. When they were younger Takayo had said it was cute - playfully, good naturedly shoved Keri awake when she was not quite in the mood for sharing her bed with a large koala.

And just as Takayo was not Mr. Hippo, Keri was no longer a sweet koala. Keri hoped to all the gods in existence that Takayo did not notice the difference, but it was too obvious in Keri’s mind to try and fight it. Wrapping herself around Takayo’s warm body, feeling the strong muscles in her thighs and her shoulders in those close of quarters… being able to  _ feel _ her hot breath leave her body just as well as she could feel her own… it was all too much for her. The first time it happened after she had begun to suspect her feelings Keri was quite certain she would spontaneously combust from sheer embarrassment and, dare she  _ think _ it, arousal.

She was not about to add an exploding best friend to Takayo’s last night home.  _ Oh fuck did that hurt to think about. _

“Nah, was just on autopilot,” she said simply. Attempted to sound blase when she lowered her covers back onto the mattress and opted instead for the waiting sleeping bag at the foot of the bed.

“We could take off the duvet. Turn on your fan.” Takayo suggested even as the pillow down gave a soft sound when she laid her head back down. More for Keri’s feelings of obvious loneliness than her own, Keri told herself.

She considered it.

_ The Keri in her head always seemed way cooler, more confident and calm within herself. “Come on, let’s sleep in my bed.” She would say. Grin and tug on Takayo’s wrist the moment the movie was over. Takayo’s loose sweatpants would be falling down her right hip so that when Keri pulled her to stand a nice patch of bare skin was visible there in the way her barely cropped old band T lifted up. _

_ Takayo would smile back at her, so sincere and beautiful. A light of playful mischief and want glinting in those dark eyes. “Maybe,” she could drawl out, teasing. _

_ “Maybe?” Keri would repeat, a knowing sort of question. Aware completely of what Takayo meant, not at all worried or anxious about what she could be thinking of Keri. Keri sits on the edge of her bed and she pulls Takayo to straddle her. She would know that she meant maybe they would sleep in her bed. But they could and would most certainly do other things. _

_ Fuck - Takayo could wear that black and white Adida’s hoodie she got for her birthday last year. The contrast of the colors does wonders for her complexion. Unzipping it slow right in Keri’s face with nothing on underneath. Keri had the privilege - the curse? - of having seen what Takayo looked like topless. Takayo had confided in her once when they were young, Takayo a young preteen becoming that bit awkward in her body, that she was not always so fond of how broad her shoulders were for a girl. Keri loved it. She loved the strength in them, the bit of definition you could see even more up close. With Takayo in her lap Keri could so easily lean in and kiss there between her clavicle and her shoulder. Following it along with a brush of her lips to that dip at the base of her throat. Once the hoodie was off Takayo would put her hand in Keri’s hair and Keri could reach up to properly feel at her chest. _

_ Takayo would lean her head back so delicate and say Keri’s name- _

“Good night, Keri,” Takayo said softly, breaking through the visions playing in the dark of Keri’s ceiling. She thought Keri had fallen asleep instead of answering.

Trying her best to swallow silently and turn onto her side,  _ good _ , Keri thought.

For all of the pain and mixed sensations in her chest, there were still good things too. Keri could not deny the soft fuzzy feeling that warmed her heart when Takayo woke her the next morning.

Gorgeous, smart, responsible, sarcastic, know it all Takayo that leaned over Keri’s sleeping form and tugged on her cheek until she finally opened her eyes. Her French braid had loosened just a bit in her sleep. Bits of black stray hairs poked out every which way, the little fine baby ones sticking to her forehead after a good night of sleep. Her cheek was still a tad bit pink from the pillow.

“C’mon Ker-Bear, pancakes’re cookin.” Takayo said, mimicking the accent of Keri’s father, nickname included.

Keri snorted loudly and promptly swatted Takayo’s stupidly beautiful face with the pillow nearest her on the floor. “Shut up.”

“Are you more excited or worried?” Keri’s father, Tex to most everyone, asked as he wielded his spatula in Takayo’s direction the moment she came down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Krolia gave him a tired sort of look whilst pouring the coffee. “Perhaps it is too early for this.”

Takayo sidled up to a bar stool at the kitchen island with a laugh and shake of her head. “It’s fine Mrs. Kogane.” That said, her answer was rather practiced. Like she had in fact gotten that exact question and twenty variations of it in the months leading up. “I know it’s going to be a lot of work. Any double major is. But if I want to get into a good graduate program for Psychology, I’ll have to do well in my undergrad.”

“So you already know you’re gonna to keep goin for that, huh? What about your other one?”

“I want to major in physical therapy so I can use it alongside my psychological therapy - but I do still want to learn and focus more on traditional means there.” A pause, a sheepish sort of laugh. “At least - that’s what I’m thinking. All the people I talked to applying and looking at the psychology department said they weren’t sure if what I wanted could really work but… I’m certainly going to try.”

“You will find your path somewhere in between what they know and what you believe,” Krolia said in sliding Takayo a mug. Her face was soft, mothering of her daughter’s best friend.

“That’s weirdly cryptic mom.” Keri mumbled, still waking up beside Takayo at the island. She scratched at her hair. “I thought you said it was too early.”

“It is never too early to impart wisdom on the young,” Krolia said in more purposeful ‘Yoda-speak’ as Keri called it. She flattened the top of Keri’s hair out as she passed behind her. “I’m going to the gym. Have fun and be safe at college, Takayo.” Krolia said, sharing a smile and nod with Takayo.

Before she could leave, however, Tex caught Krolia by the wrist to pull her in for a kiss. First to the cheek, eliciting a laugh, before she allowed him a proper one on the lips. As strict and reticent as Krolia could be to most, within the home and around her husband and daughter, there was a playful softness to her. Keri’s parents were always sharing kisses, hugs, a few more rated interactions even in the public areas of the home when they thought Keri was asleep or out of the house. Sometimes even without those circumstances.

Keri felt her eyes glazing over in thought, the kitchen going blurry with conjured images. An older Takayo in a small apartment kitchen. Her hair up in a high ponytail wearing a black sports bra with a white band at the bottom. Nice, form fitting athletic pants with a pretty purple and red galaxy pattern. Keri making coffee for them in matching mugs before they head to the gym together. Sharing kisses and laughter just like her parents did. Sharing a  _ life _ together.

“Are you going to see me off here or help me pack the last bit at my place?” Takayo asked, leaning her elbows on the counter and looking into Keri’s face with a hopeful smile. The kind that made her nose wrinkle, the scar across it pinching up.

_ At least I have you in my head, _ Keri thought to herself, bittersweet. It took closing her eyes and looking away from her best friend’s radiant face to push it down enough for a proper smile in return. “Sure. I’ll help.”


End file.
